Dan Pitcher concluded his 12th season overall in the NFL and his eighth as an assistant coach with the Bengals in 2023. He spent the past four seasons as the team's quarterbacks coach.
In 2022, Pitcher helped QB Joe Burrow further establish himself as one of the NFL's elite signal callers. Burrow ranked second in the league in passing TDs (35), fifth in completions (414), fifth in passing yards (4475) and sixth in passer rating (100.8) en route to earning his first career Pro Bowl selection. His completions and passing TD totals also set single-season team records. Burrow surpassed numerous career milestones during the regular season, including 1000 completions, 11,000 passing yards and 75 passing TDs. In each of those categories, he ranked in the top five in NFL history for fewest games played to reach the respective mark.
In 2021, Pitcher coached Burrow to a breakout season in which he led the NFL in completion percentage (70.4), and set team records for passing yards (4611) and passer rating. Burrow, who missed the final six games of his rookie campaign in 2020 due to a knee injury, was named the AP Comeback Player of the Year. With Pitcher's guidance, he steered the Bengals to an AFC North Division title before completing 68.3 percent of his passes for 1105 yards and five TDs in four postseason games as Cincinnati advanced to Super Bowl LVI.
In 2020, Pitcher helped transition Burrow, the No. 1 overall pick in the draft, to the pro level despite the absence of an in-person offseason program due to COVID-19. Prior to his season-ending knee injury in Game 10, Burrow had turned in one of the most productive starts to a career by a QB in NFL history, as his 264 completions were the most ever by a QB through their first 10 career games, while his 2688 passing yards were fifth.
Pitcher in 2020 helped three different Bengals starting QBs — Burrow, Brandon Allen and Ryan Finley — to wins, marking just the second time in team history that as many QBs have gotten into the win column (1984).
In 2019, Pitcher held the title of assistant quarterbacks coach, and was also charged with leading the team's game clock management efforts. He spent the 2018 season as an offensive assistant with a focus on QBs, after serving as offensive assistant with a focus on WRs in '16-17. In addition to working with regular starter QB Andy Dalton, Pitcher helped Finley and Jeff Driskel as they both saw their first NFL action and were thrust into the starting role.
In 2018, Pitcher guided Dalton to 21 passing TDs through 11 games before a thumb injury ended his season. The team then transitioned to Driskel, who tossed six TDs to just two INTs and posted an 82.2 rating, despite playing much of his time without several key offensive weapons.
In 2017, while working with the Bengals' receivers, Pitcher helped A.J. Green notch 1078 receiving yards and a Pro Bowl nod. In 2016, his first year in Cincinnati, Pitcher worked with rookie WR Tyler Boyd and veteran free agent acquisition Brandon LaFell, as the pair combined for 118 catches, 1465 yards and seven TDs.
Prior to joining the Bengals, Pitcher spent four seasons in player personnel roles with the Indianapolis Colts. He served as a pro scout from 2014-15, after working as a scouting assistant from '12-13.
With Pitcher on staff, the Colts compiled a 41-23 regular-season record (.641), with three playoff berths, including two AFC South championships. Pitcher was responsible for advance scouting reports on opponents, evaluation of free agents and monitoring rosters.
Pitcher began his post-playing career in 2012, coaching wide receivers at his alma mater, Cortland State, a part of New York's state university system. He spent 2009-11 as Cortland State's starting QB, and as a senior he was named a finalist for the prestigious Gagliardi Trophy, presented annually to the most outstanding Division III football player.
Pitcher was born in Cortland, N.Y. on Jan. 13, 1987. He graduated from Cortland State with a bachelor's degree in psychology in 2010, and he earned a master's in sports management in '11. He and wife Marissa have a son, Oliver.
Playing, scouting and coaching history: 2008-11—Played QB at SUNY Cortland. 2012—Assistant coach (AC), Cortland State. 2012-13—Scouting assistant, Indianapolis Colts. 2014-15—Pro scout, Indianapolis Colts. 2016-present—AC, Cincinnati Bengals.
